The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-02
EFFECTS OF THE DROUGHT.
Nine-Tenths of the Surface Wells Are Dry
Low RAIN Fall for the Year.

The prolonged drought has affected the sur
face wells in this city seriously that it is est
mated that nine tenths of them dry, but
there is plenty of water to be had from them if
dug below the blue glacial clay. Above the clay
it is almost impossible to ind we'll with more
than foot two of water in. it. In in
stances the wells of the upper level have been
dug deeper and tiled,s but in a short time they
again become dry. On this account it is con-
cluded the surest supply and the best water
comes from below the blue glacial clay. Geolo-
gists are of the opinion that water from
depth less than forty feet is
impure. It is said at the Board of Health Office
that it is good thing these surface wells
entirely dry, for if their supply reduced to
a shallow depth merely, great deal of sickness
would follow account of the impurities with
which the water would be impregnated. DR..
carp tells of an instance where a family
stricken with disease bordering closely ty
phoid fever He thought the could be
traced to the water. but the head of the family
assured MIN that could not be. as the we'll was
driven. However. he pumped eassfull, and,
holding it to the light, detected greasy sur
face. It was barely perceptible but an eXamin-
alton of the we'll showed that it had been dug
thirty feet, and there was standing in it about
foot of water that had been polluted by the
tents of a vault fifteen feet away. Had tn
we'll been up to its average supply, this would
not have been noticed.
While the wells are becoming dry, and not
day passes but what some househ older finds his
water from this source cut off, the Water-works
Company has an abundance. This is due TO the
location and depth of the wells from which it
obtains its water. The supply gallery is be-
tween White river and Fall creek, and although
those two streams may be running low, the COM
pany wells not affected. the
ing into them is from the lower levels At
time there was some fear of a shortage, but the
supply never got SO low to any danger
of the wells giving out. Since then the
button of from 100000 to 5000. 900 gallons
every day. In doing this, steam is relied
altogether for the pumps the company's
water-power is low. The standard fire pro-
lection is main attained, and the company thinks
it could meet any large Immediate demand for
additional consumption, but if all the wells of
the city were to become dry it would place
great strain the present gallery supply.
At the weather signal Office the records show
an exceedingly low fall Of rain during the year
and Mr.. Wappenhans, the observer, says, 1--WE
never had anything like this drought. From
June to September, in 1881, there was no rain,
but since January, this year. up to Monday
night, the entire fall of rain and snow was
nearly thirty inches below the normal. In
October only ffty-five hundredths of an inch
fell and the largest at any one time was sixteen
hundredths There only nine days in
the month on which rain or snow fell The
rainfall during October has been nearly three
inches below the normal The drought extends
throughout the State, exceprin the northern part,
where there has been some rain; but even there
complaints heard. In the southern portion
the winter wheat is turning yellow. the small
creeks are dry and the larger streams are ex-
ceedingly low. There is indication of an
early relief"